Inkstand



Mmhv 17, 1942.

G. J. SENGBUSCH INKSTAND Filed March 15, 1940 1 ATTORNEYS.

I Patented Mar. 17, 1942 trice i Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to an improved inkstand of the type wherein there is an ink storage chamber and means for holding a pen with its pen point partially immersed in ink and in a readily accessible position so that upon withdrawal of the pen point, it is immediately ready for writing.

The main objects of the invention are to provide in an inkstand 0f the character indicated, means for holding the pen with its pen point in contact with ink in such a manner that an adequate but not an excess supply of ink will at all times be on the pen point, thereby to avoid objectionable accumulations of ink both on the pen point and lower portion of the pen holder and on the surrounding portion of the inkstand-Which holds the pen in accessible position; to provide an inkstand having the improved construction indicated which may be made economically and at low oost; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved inkstand of the character indicated.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan of the improved inkstand;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure l, a portion of a pen being shown in operative Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved inkstand comprises a receptacle member having an ink storage chamber It, and an auxiliary chamber I I, such chambers being separated from each other by a partition wall I2. The receptacle comprising the chamber I!) and chamber II are preferably formed of hard rubber or other suitable material and it is preferably formed by a molding process. A weight I3 of metal or other suitable material vmay be sealed in the bottom portion of the member to prevent accidental tipping thereof, The weight I3 is preferably completely sealed from the ink chamber I'so as to avoid corrosion of the metal and contamination of the ink; accordingly, a false bottom wall I4 is formed in the receptacle, the same being in effect molded integrally with the outside walls I5.

The partition wall I2 is provided with an opening I5 which establishes communication between the ink storage chamber I il and the auxiliary chamber I I, said opening being of substantial proportions substantially as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Adjacent each side of the opening I6, the

partition wall I2 is provided with lateral exten- 55 sions i1, Il for a purpose which will presently appear.

The top wall I8 of the portion of the receptacle forming the auxiliary chamber I I is provided with an opening I9 which is adapted to receive a generally cylindrical pen socket member 20. 'I'he socket member 2i] is removably mounted on the inkstand by beingsnugly fitted in said opening I 9 and the upper portion thereof which normally remains above the outside surface of the top wall I8 is provided with a pair of ears or lugs such as indicated at ZI, 2I which facilitate manipulation `of the removable socket member 2U.

The socket member 20 is of such vertical dimension or length that its lower end 22 seats or very nearly seats on the bottom wall of the chamber Il. It is not important whether or not the lower end of the socket member 20 seats on the said bottom wall but it preferably reaches very nearly-to said bottom wall. The socket may be adequately supported by providing its upper end` with a shoulder such as indicated at 23 which is adapted to seat on the top of the chamber Wall I8. The front ends of the partition wall eXtensions I'I, I'I, as shown in Figure 1, are so shaped either as a result of a drilling or molding operation or otherwise, as to be adapted to fit the outside surface of the adjacent portion of the socket member 2i), and here again it should be observed that it is not of great importance whether 0r not a sealing contact is established between said partition portions I'I, I'I and the socket member and that it is sufficient if these parts are so proportioned as to come very close to each other.

The socket member 20 is provided with an auxiliary inclined pen-receiving opening 24 which is provided with a flared upper end for facilitating insertion of a pen into the socket. The flared upper end of the pen-receiving opening 24 is further provided with a series of longitudinally extending ribs such as indicated at 25 for engaging circumferentially spaced portions of an end extension 26 of the pen holder 21, thereby to position the pen holder while at the same time maintaining space between the lower end portion of the pen holder and the socket wall, to maintain communication between the interior of the socket and the outside atmosphere. A shoulder such as indicated at 28 on the pen holder at the upper end of the cylindrical extension 26 thereof vmay'serve to engage portions of the ribs 25 to limit insertion of the pen holder in the socket opening.

As best shown in Figure 2, the upper portion ofthe pen-receiving opening 24 is of such size and shape that the wall of the opening is substantially spaced from the outer face or surface 29 of the pen point 20, which is carried by the pen holder. The socket opening, however, is of reduced cross-sectional dimension in its lower portion so that the lower end or nib portion 3I of the pen point is adapted to engage the inside wall portions 33 of the lower end of the socket on opposite sides of a narrow, slot-like opening 32 which is provided in said portion of the socket.

The lower portion of the pen-receiving opening 24 is defined by a wall part 33 so as to guide the pen point properly into its normal inclined position in the socket member with the nibs of the pen point in the described relationship to the walls of the socket on opposite sides of the slot 32. The wall 33, however, is provided with an aperture as indicated at 34 which serves to establish communication between the interior of the socket member 2B and the atmosphere outside of the inkstand. The space 35 inside of the socket member but outside of the pen-receiving opening 24 also communicates with the auxiliary chamber II through the side openings 3E formed in the cylindrical wall of the socket member. The pen-receiving opening 24 is open at its lower end as indicated at 31 sov as to communicate with the interior space 35 of the socket.

The inkstand structure described is initially filled with ink by removing the socket member A 20, holding the inkwell in a slanting position and pouring ink into the auxiliary chamber I I through theopening IS; The ink will, of course, flow through the large opening IG into the ink storage chamber I0. By tipping the inkstand to a vertical position, all of the ink poured into the auxiliary chamber II may be caused to flow into the storage receptacle IQ until the latter is substantially completely filled. Then by placing the inkstand in ak horizontal position, ink would return from the storage chamber I0 to a depth which. is determined-by the vertical dimension of the opening I6. The pen socket 29 may then be inserted, whereupon the inkstand is ready for use.

When the pen socket 20' is inserted', it will be observed that the opening I6 in the partition wall l2l is substantially closed by the adjacent portion of the socket. Communication between the ink storage chamber III and the pen socket opening 24, however, is maintained through the agency of the slot 32.

It has been found that when a narrow slot such as 32 is provided for conducting ink from the reservoir Il) to the pen socket opening 2d,

the ink in the auxiliary chamber II will not reach the full depth of the vertical dimension of the opening I6 but that only a very shallow depth of ink will flow into the said auxiliary chamber. If the pen socket 23 is inserted in the receptacle before it is restored to normal, horizontal position, the ink flowing into the auxiliary chamber II will reach only such shallow depth. For example, in one specimen inkstand constructedy substantially as` shown and described, and of the proportions shown in the drawing, Figure 1 being substantially full-size, the opening I5 measures approximately T76 in depth and -Z in width, and with a socket member such as 26 having a slot measuring about 'g in depth and %4 in width, ink flowed from the storage chamber to the auxiliary chamber to a depth of about 1/8" or a little less, the pen being removed so as to avoid` any obstruction to the normal flow of ink from the storage chamber I0 to the auxiliary chamber II. Such depth of the ink remained the same in the auxiliary chamber after a period of about forty-five days, during which a pen was repeatedly withdrawn and replaced during ordinary business usage of the inkstand.

The ink is conducted to the pen point to the full depth of the slot 32, apparently incident to the capillary effect of the narrow dimension of the slot 32, so that the pen point has delivered to it a substantial supply of ink adequate for ordinary writing purposes at one time. If the pen 21 is supplied with an ink reservoir arrangement such as shown in my Patent No. 1,915,338, the reservoir slots will also receive a supply of ink, apparently as a result of capillary action between the nibs of the pen point (the point being split as usual) whereby ink is carried upwardly to the usual hole 4I. Ink may be transferred through the slit in the pen point and through the hole 4I to theinside surface of the pen point and the adjacent surface of the feed bar where further capillary action serves to convey ink to the various narrow ink-holdingy slots of the feed bar. In the present instance, a feed bar such as referred to is indicated at 3S, such feed bar having a plurality of ink-holding slots such as indicated at 49.

The auxiliary chamber II is a desirable provision in desk sets of the character describedin that it is adapted to receive ink discharged from the storage reservoir II) incident to Variations in Y atmospheric conditions. The auxiliary receptacle II servesv as an overflow reservoir and thereby prevents an objectionable rise of the level of ink within the pen-receiving opening 24 and thereby prevents excessive wetting of the pen point, which may be said to be generally responsible for the presence of wet ink on the lower portion of the pen holder as is often found in most of the conventional inkstands heretofore available. The relatively large area of the auxiliary receptacle I I makes negligible any rise in ink depth therein incident to atmospheric changes.

As to the reason for the shallow depth to which ink flows into the auxiliary chamber I I from the storage chamber I0, there may be some uncertainty. However, it appears that because of the narrowness of the slot 32 which constitutes practically the only communicating opening between the ink storage chamber and auxiliary chamber, and the incident strength of the capillary action between the opposite walls of the slot, normal air pressure is not capable of displacing from the slot more than that portion of the ink contained within the indicated shallow-depth, lower portion of the slot to find its way into the ink storage chamber Il) so as to permit the out-flow of ink therefrom.

It will be apparent, of course, that the described arrangement for delivering ink to the pen point may be employed without having associated therewith the over-now chamber II, and that the pen-receiving socket member 20 is not necessarily made independently of the receptacle structure. It may be observed that the main receptacle may be lled with ink by pouring the same into the pen-receiving opening 211 of the socket while holding the inkstand in the inclined or vertical position above referred to. Such method of filling may be somewhat unsatisfactory, however, in that it would be a slow method because of the slowness with which ink would ow through the narrow slot 32.

Other changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

l. In an inkstand, a receptacle member having a main or ink storage chamber and an auxiliary chamber, there being a wall separating said chambers and provided with an opening for establishing communication therebetween, a pen socket removably mounted in said receptacle and entering and communicating with said auxiliary chamber, said socket having a portion overlying said opening so as to substantially close the same, said socket portion having a narrow slot therein adapted to receive ink from said storage chamber through said opening and operative to convey the ink to the interior of said socket, said socket being provided with an opening for venting said auxiliary chamber, thereby to enable the latter to receive ink discharged from said storage chamber incident to variations in atmospheric conditions whereby flooding of said socket is prevented.

2. An inkstand comprising an ink receptacle and a member for supporting a pen in said receptacle, said receptacle having an opening for receiving said member with its axis in substantially right-angular relation to the normal plane of the receptacle, and said member having a pen receiving socket axially inclined relative to the normal axis of the member for supporting the pen in inclined position.

3. An inkstand comprising an ink reservoir,

an overflow chamber, said reservoir and chamber being separated by a partition wall provided with an opening establishing communication between said reservoir and chamber, and a pen receiving socket, said overflow chamber being provided With an opening therein for receiving said socket and positioning the same with a wall portion thereof substantially closing said partition wall opening, said socket wall portion being provided with a passageway of small size relative to the size of said partition wall opening to permit restricted ow of ink from said reservoir into said socket. l

4. An inkstand comprising an ink reservoir, an

overow chamber, said reservoir and chamberv being separated by a partition wall provided with an opening establishing communication between said reservoir and chamber, and a pen supporting member, said overow chamber being provided with an opening therein for receiving said pen supporting member with a wall portion thereof substantially closing said partition wall opening, said wall portion being provided With a passageway of small size relative to said partition wall opening to permit restricted flow of ink from said reservoir into said pen supporting member, said member having a partition element cooperating with said wall portion to form at least a part of a socket for receiving and supporting a pen, said partition element terminating at its lower end intermediate the upper limit of said passageway and the lower limit of said opening.

GUSTAV J. SENGBUSCH. 

